Press Releases

“The issue is whether an unelected group of bureaucrats or the U.S. Congress should decide what to do about carbon.” – Lamar Alexander

Posted on June 8, 2010

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, today made the following remarks on a resolution of disapproval that would ban the EPA from moving forward with planned regulation of greenhouse gas emissions and, Alexander said, hurt the economy:

“Here is the scope of what the EPA seeks to do. By using the Clean Air Act to define greenhouse gases as dangerous pollutants, the EPA would need to impose regulations on six million emissions sources that emit more than 250 tons of carbon a year. That would mean one-fifth of all our restaurants, one-fourth of all our schools, two-thirds of our hospitals and doctor’s offices, 10 percent of our churches, and millions of small businesses. In effect, such a broad rule would run millions of jobs overseas looking for cheap energy. The issue is whether an unelected group of bureaucrats or the U.S. Congress should decide what to do about carbon. We believe that is our job, because we will put at the front of our consideration taking action in a way that will help create more jobs, not run jobs overseas looking for cheap energy.”

The EPA is planning to use the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gases, which will allow the agency to essentially write the law on how the federal government deals with carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions. A vote on the resolution (S.J. Res. 26) sponsored by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and cosponsored by Senator Alexander is scheduled for Thursday, June 10. To repeal the proposed regulation, the resolution would have to pass both the Senate and House of Representatives and be signed by the president.

Sen. Alexander is a member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.